North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 29, 2011 Page: 7 of 8
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hursday, September 29,2011
Views
Page 7
Valerie Gonzalez, Views Editor
ntviewseditor@gmail.com
UNT getting
rid of it
asbestos they can
Editorial
An NT Daily reporter left her class in Sage Hall to use
the bathroom when she noticed a label warning people
of asbestos - a naturally occurring carcinogen once used
to insulate buildings. Not paying much attention, she
continued about her business. When she returned the
next day, though, the sticker had been removed.
The label wasn't removed because UNT took care of
its asbestos problem overnight. Instead, the university
removed it out of fear that a mass panic attack would
break out if students and parents were aware of the
problem.
In other words, the university is afraid you'll be afraid
so it's just better you not know at all.
That's a terrible way to approach a situation.
It comes as no surprise that the older buildings on
campus like the Biology Building, Life Science Complex
A, the Art Building, the Music Building and the Hurley
Administration Building all contain asbestos.
Before you worry, there are two forms of asbestos.
According to UNT's asbestos management planner -
yes, that is his actual job title - asbestos is dangerous
when it is friable because it can be easily crumbled and
easily inhaled. Most of the asbestos on campus is non-
friable and does not pose a danger to students or faculty
members.
Even so, non-friable asbestos can become dangerous
if it is disturbed. Luckily, UNT has a plan that's been in
place for 15 years to ensure non-friable is not disturbed
while it updates and renovates buildings.
Sure, UNT has a strategy for workers to remove the
asbestos, but it is a problem in itself to expect students
and faculty members to precariously coexist with a mate-
rial that can cause rare forms of cancer like malignant
mesothelioma.
Last year, UNT administration sent out an email to
inform students that bed bugs found their way onto the
mattresses at Santa Fe and were infiltrating the Discovery
Park campus. The email listed tips on how students could
prevent bed bugs from spreading and assured students
that it was addressing the problem, and there was no big
freak out when the message reached students' inboxes.
The Editorial Board believes the administration should
address the asbestos problem in the same manner, just
like it should have done from the beginning.
UNT administrators think there is no reason to worry,
but its students always have the right to be informed. It
is naive not to be forthcoming about such an alarming
issue if the sole rationale is to prevent students from
becoming alarmed.
Once again, to reiterate, someone gets paid to manage
our asbestos problem. It is a problem.
CajHOus CkjCLf
Do you agree with Rick Perry sup-
porting a law that allows immi-
grants to pay in-state tuition?
"Personally, I agree with Rick
Perry. Immigrants are a large
part of our country and they
deserve the same tuition
rights as we do. Immigrants
play a huge role in our school
system, so Perry is right for
standing by this Texas law
tToruaikcuv- QjXLj
AccomvjR<u^ sopkxxnore
1 agree wholeheartedly. Who
are we to say that students
from across seas or borders
can't come to America to
get an education and better
themselves because of it?
Some people dream of
coming here and starting a
new life, and f in not going
to be the one to tell them no
because of stupid prejudice."
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9<X|CKJOLO^ k
t6ufU.0C
Don't discriminate against skaters
A male student walks into
the Pohl Recreation Center
carrying a long and heavy
tern. As he checks in with his
student ID, a center employee
notices the item, stops the
male student and tells him
it is banned from the prera-
ses. The student walks to a
locker as the employee yells
after him to let him know the
police will be notified.
The long, sleek item is not a
gun. It is not a type of knife. It
s a wooden long board.
UNT has a policy against
having skateboards or long
boards in any of its facilities.
This might be a surprise to
some because many students
take their boards with them
into many UNT facilities
without being threatened with
a call to the police.
According to a Pohl
employee, the Recreation
Center is one of the few UNT
facilities that actually enforces
this unfair policy.
While student cyclists are
provided bike racks where
they can safely tether their
bicycles, skate-boarders have
no choice but to hide their
boards in bushes and shrubs
surrounding the buildings
they enter.
Yet long boards, which can
cost as much as $200, are some
students' only means of trans-
portation besides riding the
bus and are left vulnerable to
being stolen.
The UNT administration
has two options to end this
blatant inequality.
UNT can change the vehicle
policy to allow board owners
to carry their boards inside
UNT facilities while increasing
punishment for those who
choose to ride their boards
nside these facilities.
If UNT does not want to
go that route, it can install
skateboard and long board
racks near all UNT facilities
to keep the boards out but still
prevent theft. That would let
board owners keep their prop-
erty safe and prevent wear and
tear of UNT facilities.
As an establishment of
higher education, UNT has
the duty to accommodate
equally for all of Its students
regardless of race, gender,
sexual orientation, religion,
nationality, disability, age
AND transportation.
After all, skaters are people
too.
Ron Johnson is a journalism,
senior. He can be contacted
at ronjohnson42089@yahoo.
com.
ity ouncil should ban smoking
This week, I'm going to
alienate some folks, including
some of my friends.
In the coming weeks,
our City Council will begin
discussion on a potential
city wide smoking ban in
restaurants, bars and other
work places.
Talk of such a ban has been
commonplace in various
Denton circles; the univer-
sity's Student Government
Association has considered
a campus ban off and on
throughout the last few years,
and at a state level, Rep. Myra
Crownover (R-Denton) has
pushed for a similar ban
every biennium that she has
been a member of the Texas
Legislature.
The notion of these bans
has been easily shot down:
Campus police came back to
the SGA stating they do not
have the sufficient means or
wherewithal to always look
out for smoking in improper
areas.
Rep. Crownover keeps
introducing her legislation,
but various health and budget
committees keep shooting
her down.
Many people see smoking
as a basic right and privi-
lege common to American
life, furthering the dissi-
dence. Additionally, there
is an argument that if a bar,
restaurant or venue becomes
smoke-free, attendance at
large events, shows and the
like would take a significant
hit.
This is how I see it: If
passed, it can help.
People are not going to stop
watching and enjoying music
at bars and venue spaces
because they can't smoke
there. People will still drink
and be merry regardless.
If anything, enacting a
smoking ban could poten-
tially increase the number
of cash-happy, bored people
filling out these venues!
Friends like a few of my
roommates and my fiance
have explicitly stayed away
from these environments for
the smoking, and they have
missed out on so much for it.
I would love to see the day
when they are on an equal
footing to experience the
entertainment and camara-
derie that makes these places
special.
Now, I still empathize with
my fellows who do wish to
retain the comfort of their
cigarettes. I understand; it's
fun, relaxing and at some
subconscious level, some
people see it as a neces-
sity. But to echo represen-
tatives from our growing
medical community within
the Denton city limits, yes,
smoking is still bad for you.
If nothing else, I say let's
go after this, Denton. If you
think likewise or completely
otherwise, make sure to
let your Council members
know!
Chris Walker is a music
composition senior. He can
he reached at fusshudgets@
me.com.
M.
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CVERPW
NT Daily
Editorial Board
The Editorial Board includes:
Josh Pherigo, Amber Arnold,
Isaac Wright, Sean Gorman,
Jesse Sidlauskas, Carolyn
Brown, Sydnie Summers, Stacy
Powers,Valerie Gonzalez, Drew
Gaines, Cristy Angulo and
Berenice Quirino.
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strictly the opinion
of the writers and in no way re-
flects the belief of the NT Daily.
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Pherigo, Josh. North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 29, 2011, newspaper, September 29, 2011; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth209175/m1/7/: accessed May 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.